Chasing the Lost

“She’s not dead, look!  See?  She’s moving.”

Twilight’s mind swam through a haze.  Where... the town!  Had she made it?  When?  What happened?  What was happening to her?

“Hey!  Can you hear me?”

She struggled to peel her eyes open, seeing first only grass until she lifted her head a few inches.  A settlement, slightly larger than Oakvale, sat not more than a minute’s gallup from her.  Two earth ponies stood at the edge, calling out to her.  Clarity came rushing back, and she quickly checked herself, finding only a saddlebag.  And in the saddlebag, there was no coat, and no blanket.

“Hello?  Miss?”

She laughed nervously.  “I’m... I’m okay!”

“See, Trevor?  Told you,” one stallion said to the other.

Twilight began trotting toward them.  “Actually, though, I was wondering if there might be a doctor around?”

The stallion whose name she didn’t know gave her a quizzical look.  “But... you’re a unicorn!”

“I’m... sorry?  I don’t follow.”

After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head.  “Nevermind, nevermind.  I’m Speedy,” he said, pointing a hoof at himself before turning it to his friend.  “And this is Trevor.  You’re in luck... err...”

“Twilight,” she replied as she reached the two stallions.

Speedy smiled.  “You’re in luck, Twilight, because we do have a doctor here in our humble little home, and Mr. Hoof is very good at what he does.  I can show you to him, if you like, but it’s best not to take up his time if you don’t have to.  You seem to be in decent enough health,” he said, tilting his head to one side.  “What’s bothering you?”

She took a deep breath.  “I’m not entirely sure what to say.  I’m... losing time.  I’ll start walking, then the next thing I know I’m somewhere else with no memory of the journey in the middle.  Like just now!  Night was only just falling and I was still a long distance off from here.  The next thing I know, you two are calling me.”

Trevor rubbed his chin.  “Exhaustion?  You’ve obviously come a long way, and with very little in the way of supplies.”

“I don’t think so,” Twilight replied.  “A few days isn’t too bad.  I’ve made a lot longer trips.”

Speedy held up a hoof.  “Wait wait wait.  A few days?  What do you... you came from the South, right?”

She nodded.  “Yes, that’s right.”

“There’s nothing out there.  Not within any reasonable distance.  Banor’s at least two weeks away, and that’s if you’re a pegasus.”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to scrunch her face in confusion.  “What?  I’m afraid you’re mistaken.  I just came from a charming little village that, at most, is a week away.  Because of my fugue state I can’t be sure how quickly I was moving or how much sleep I got, but I got a good look from the top of that hill,” she said, pointing back to the distant hills.

“Sure, the hills are close, but it’s a lot further than that!” Trevor said.

Speedy’s gaze hovered between Twilight and Trevor.  “Maybe she does need to see the doctor.  She might be a little delirious.”

“Excuse me?”  Twilight stomped a hoof.  “I’m currently doing just fine, thank you very much, and for your information Oakvale is about a day from those hills.  I was just there!”

Speedy’s eyes grew wide.  “Trev, go get Mr. Hoof.”

Trevor nodded once and sped off into the town.

“Twilight?  You’re going to need to calm down.  Did I hear you right?  Did you say you just came from Oakvale?”

“Speedy, what’s going on here?”

Speedy placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.  “Twilight, this is Oakvale.”